Curiosity
by Lastande Sarie
Summary: COMPLETE! Please R&R. This is written for my friend temari13. What happens when Jack's and Elizabeth's curiosity gets the better of them? Is it really curiosity, or something more? Set after the second movie.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – As much as I might like to, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, or Elizabeth Swann, or any other characters from the Pirates movies. This story is straight from my imagination and has no relation to Disney whatsoever aside from my borrowing the characters.

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A/N: Just a quick note – I have set this story just at the end of the second movie. Very, very few things (if any) will be taken from the third movie. So pretend you never even saw the third movie. Now that we have that clear, on to the story…

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Curiosity. She had threatened Jack with it, but now it was coming back to haunt her. Or was it something more than just curiosity? Maybe it was something stronger. Maybe, just maybe, she was really beginning to have feelings for Captain Jack Sparrow, as impossible as it sounded.

No. It couldn't be. There was no way.

These were the thoughts flashing through the mind of a young woman standing at the bow of a ship. Her long, brown, messily pinned up hair was falling down, making itself available for the wind to playfully blow into her face. Her brown eyes were pensive, and it was obvious to anyone that Elizabeth Swann was deep in thought. No one could have ever guessed what those thoughts were, however. _She_ would never have guessed just a few days ago. Nor would they have been able to tell how much turmoil these thoughts caused her. She abruptly turned away from the railing and walked slowly along the length of the ship until she came to her fiancé, Will Turner, who stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Elizabeth, what's wrong?" he asked her quietly, gazing intently into her face with a little frown.

"Oh, nothing, I was just thinking," she replied, forcing a smile. Here was the last person she wanted to know what she was thinking. She looked away. "I think I'll go sit down for a while."

Will pressed a light kiss against her cheek. "I know you're still upset about Jack. We're doing what we can."

"I know." Elizabeth tried to smile again before hurrying away, not wanting Will to guess what was truly upsetting her right now. True, she was upset about what had happened to Jack, but that wasn't the cause of her concern at the moment. No, what concerned her more was the fact that she was the one who had caused it, and, more than that, the things she was feeling now and that she couldn't explain to herself, let alone to her fiance.

She did find a place to sit, on a barrel about in the middle of the ship. She made herself as comfortable as possible, leaning back against the cabin wall with her face toward the sky and let her thoughts drift.

---

"_What would you do? What would any of you do? Would you sail to the ends of the earth and beyond to fetch back witty Jack and him precious _Pearl_?"_

_The words that Tia Dalma had asked that fateful night lingered in the air around them. One by one they all answered with their own version of "yes" and one by one they committed themselves to search for Jack until they found him. Even if it meant literally sailing to the ends of the earth._

_Elizabeth pretended she could not feel Will's eyes on her as they sat there discussing what they would do after Tia Dalma posed that question. There were no solutions presenting themselves immediately, but none of them were willing to just let it go. There had to be a solution; there had to be a way to find Jack. Elizabeth did not take part in the conversation as much as the others. She was coping with the feelings of guilt and sadness that had plagued her since she had left Jack behind on the _Pearl_. There were other feelings, too, feelings that she couldn't figure out._

_They talked late into the night, Tia Dalma giving her own input where needed. Finally they came up with a plan – not much of one, but a plan nonetheless. They would set sail immediately, scouring the oceans for any sign of Captain Jack Sparrow. Elizabeth was a little fuzzy on the details; she really wasn't paying attention. The only things she could think about were the fact that she had left Jack to die and the realization that she would do anything to find him alive, anything at all._

_---_

That had been the first in a succession of many long, sleepless nights. Elizabeth was plagued by her conscience every waking moment, and even in her dreams. Even when she did manage to fall asleep after tossing and turning for a long while, her horrible nightmares did not let her sleep long. Elizabeth felt as though she was being torn apart inside. She was directly responsible for the death of a good man. Pirate Jack Sparrow may have been, but she knew that he was really a good man, too. And not only that, but now she wasn't even sure of her feelings for her fiancé anymore.

Elizabeth Swann put a hand to her forehead. She had a headache. Things were too confusing. She had gotten herself into quite a mess. When had things turned upside down for her? With a rueful smile, she acknowledged that it all came back to Jack Sparrow. Somehow, everything she was thinking and feeling right now centered around Jack. If he hadn't washed up in Port Royal that fateful day, none of this would have ever happened. She would still be avoiding the attentions of Commodore James Norrington and trying to get the attention of blacksmith Will Turner. Instead, she was thinking of neither of these men. She was thinking about a pirate, Jack Sparrow.

True, pirates and tales of pirates had always fascinated her. But somehow she knew that what she was feeling was more than just a simple fascination with pirates. She was fascinated with one pirate in particular, one who had a sparrow tattooed on his right arm.

Why, oh why had she ever paid any attention to pirate stories?

Curiosity.

Why had she ever given Jack Sparrow the time of day?

Curiosity.

Why in the world had she ever kissed him?

Curiosity.

Elizabeth sighed. Curiosity killed the cat, but what did it do to the Swann?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own POTC or any of the characters in the story up until now.

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A/N: It was 12:20 am and I decided that I was going to make myself write another chapter before I went to bed. Actually, I think this may have been the wisest decision for this chapter, since it's about Jack. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I think it worked out better to write it when I was tired than if I were fully awake and thinking clearly. Hopefully everything makes sense; I tried to stay in character very much with Jack, and so things may seem a little random. Let me know what you think and I'll try to update again soon!

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"Why is the rum _always_ gone?" No one was around to hear the softly spoken question, and so no one answered. The asker was content to let the question go unanswered for a moment as he stared blankly of into the distance. Abruptly he said, "Oh! That's why!" and then stood and made his way unsteadily up the beach, mumbling something about "really bad eggs."

The sun was high in the sky, the sand was white and warm, and water was clear blue. There was hardly a cloud to be spotted, and the nearby palm trees offered just enough shade if one was thinking about relaxing for a nap. It was the perfect weather to be on a beach in the Caribbean. It was absolutely gorgeous weather for lying on the beach basking in the sun, or taking a dip in the ocean. Unfortunately, it was slightly less positive, though much more exciting, circumstances that brought the man to the island.

Curiosity. No, no that's not what had caused Jack Sparrow to end up in this place. Not directly, anyhow. It was really the fault of one Elizabeth Swann, who had tricked him and left him behind for dead. But really, it could be traced back to curiosity. If Jack hadn't been plagued with curiosity, he never would have kissed Elizabeth and then she never would have managed to chain him to the _Pearl_ and then he never would have ended up here, on this godforsaken spit of land.

Again.

Oh yes, again. Jack grimaced and looked around him as he carefully counted his steps. This was not the first time he had been marooned on this particular island. No, it was not even the second time. It was…

"The _third _bloody time I have been marooned on this island all by me onesome!"

Jack enjoyed shouting his complaints at the top of his lungs…for absolutely no one to hear. He continued to mumble under his breath to himself as he also continued to count his steps. Finally he found was he was looking for. He bent down, brushed some sand away, grabbed a trap door handle, and pulled. Ah, here was the one positive thing about being on this island. He went down the steps and emerged seconds later with two bottles of rum clasped in his hands. He scrunched up his nose as he recalled the last time he had been on this island, and wasn't sure whether or not he was grateful that Elizabeth Swann was _not _present this time.

At least if she wasn't there that meant he had his rum!

With a smile, Jack returned to his spot on the beach and happily drank his rum. To be sure, it was lonely, but that only meant that he didn't have to share the rum. He sighed and leaned back on his elbows. The sun was just beginning to set and it was a spectacular sight. He sat and watched the sunset, drinking his rum, as he recalled the events of the past several days.

- - - - -

Well, of course this particular adventure all started when Miss Swann had kissed him. Of course, he had thought that was going in a completely different direction than it had actually gone, and it went without saying that he was disappointed about this particular turn of events. Jack had found himself trapped on the _Black Pearl_ out at sea with a monster coming after him and no way of escape. When the time came, he put on his hat and a brave face and charged the monster.

As his luck would have it, the Kraken had a good many teeth and very bad breath. That, however, was the least of his worries. He didn't have any rum! This was the scariest thought of all and it spurred Jack into action. No sooner had he stepped into the Kraken's mouth than he jumped back out._ I want my jar of dirt_, he thought to himself at the time and recalled with remorse how it had shattered. Ah, well, the next best thing!

Jack scanned the deck and found what he was looking for. He rolled the cannon over toward the Kraken, trying to ignore the fact that the sea monster was doing a number on his ship, and loaded several cannonballs into it. He propped it against a wooden beam so that it would stay put, and then lit the fuse and plugged his ears. A moment later, the Kraken was shooting away from the ship with a very sore mouth, and the current from the Kraken's long tentacles swept the _Black Pearl_ at a startling speed toward the nearby island that everyone else had been so desperate to reach. They were now no longer in sight, but Jack didn't have time to think about it before he fell headfirst into a barrel and rolled up and down the wildly pitching deck until the _Pearl_ came to an abrupt and skidding halt.

When he finally managed to extricate himself from the barrel and ropes that had tangled around him, Jack surveyed his surroundings. They had improved from a few moments ago. The ship was beached now, which meant it was out of the Kraken's reach. The only bad thing was that the ship was in such bad shape that it could not be sailed until serious repairs were made. Except, Jack couldn't go out to sea while he had the telltale black spot on his hand anyway, so maybe it wasn't such a bad thing.

It had taken Jack only seconds to realize that this was the same island that he remembered so well. It was the smell of rum that gave it away – or maybe the sight of the still-charred palm trees from Elizabeth's bonfire from the last time he had vacationed on this spot.

His mouth twitching, Jack had immediately decided that a bit of rum would do him some good and had immediately set of in search of some.

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That had been five days ago. Jack had since eaten all the food he could find from the _Pearl_ and made a serious dent in the amount of rum available to him on the island for the time being. He contemplated his dilemma as he continued to sip rum and sing about "really bad eggs." Really, he had to get off the island. He needed to get off of this island and get to a larger piece of land that had more food – and more rum – before the monster could find him and catch him. Jack gulped some more rum down and ran through his list of ideas as he counted off the fingers of one hand. It didn't take long since he had four fingers and a thumb more than he needed.

Oh dear, another bottle of rum was almost gone.

Why was the rum _always _gone?

"Well, then," Jack Sparrow said resolutely as he stood shakily. "Must find a couple of sea turtles, mate, before we really get in trouble." He pondered for a moment what would happen if he ran out of rum. It was the most unpleasant thought as of yet, and he immediately pushed it aside and walked down to the water's edge.

Curiosity had gotten him into this mess. Somehow, someway he would get out of it and get back.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, I am merely borrowing them.

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A/N: I felt like writing so I sat down and wrote this. I know it's a little shorter than the other two chapters, but not much. I really wanted it to end there, so I didn't try to make it longer. Hopefully you still like it. Enjoy!

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"Where are we?"

These were the first words out of Elizabeth Swann's mouth that morning. She had woken abruptly to realize that the ship was not moving, aside from the usual bobbing up and down on the waves. She peered out the window, but the one window in her cabin was facing out to sea, which did not help at all in figuring out exactly where they were located. After dressing hurriedly and pinning up her hair, Elizabeth had rushed onto deck to find that they had made port somewhere. It wasn't anywhere that she recognized, however. Stepping up next to Tia Dalma at the railing, Elizabeth asked her question again.

"We are in the famous pirate city of Tortuga," Tia Dalma answered, waving her hand and gesturing to the less than pristine port. "If Jack is anywhere to be found, this is the best place to look." Tia Dalma shot Elizabeth a sideways glance, and if the younger woman had been looking at her, she would have realized that Tia Dalma understood more about Elizabeth's feelings perhaps even than Elizabeth did.

"Oh." Elizabeth realized that this statement made sense. Anyone that was anyone in the pirate world knew where Tortuga was and ended up there sooner or later. For most, it was sooner. The call of women and rum was too much for pirates to resist. And when you have been sailing the seas and collecting treasure, you have to have something to do with it. "Where's Will?" Elizabeth asked.

"Him already gone," Tia Dalma replied with a small, careless shrug, turning back to look at the port in front of them.

"Oh," Elizabeth repeated, and stepped away from the railing. So Will was already in Tortuga, asking around for Jack. Well, he wasn't the only one who could do some investigating. Elizabeth stepped back into her cabin to make some adjustments to her appearance, and then boldly walked off the ship and in search of some pirate to talk to.

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Three hours later, Elizabeth was heading back to the ship. "Bloody pirates," she mumbled under her breath as a couple staggering men bumped into her. It wasn't the first time that had happened today; in fact, she'd lost count of how many times she'd been bumped or jostled. Once she had even been knocked down – or would have except that she ran into another pirate who was only too happy to help. But she couldn't be too disgruntled about it, as she had found some valuable information. One pirate she had talked to had been very willing to tell her all about the black ship he had seen washed up onto an island, and all she had to do in exchange for the information was buy him another mug of rum.

Holding her skirts out of the puddles on the dock, Elizabeth strode over to their ship and boarded it. Will was marching toward her with an irritated look on his face, and Elizabeth knew what he was going to say before he said it.

"Where have you been?"

"I was getting information about Jack," Elizabeth explained with the utmost patience, brushing off her skirt.

"You should not have gone into Tortuga! It's not safe – you should have just stayed on the ship." Will was not speaking very loudly; rather, he was speaking under his breath in an attempt to keep their conversation private. It wasn't working, since everyone else on board was standing behind him and leaning as close as they possibly could – likely catching ever word he said.

"Will, I can take care of myself," Elizabeth replied, a hint of exasperation tinting her words. "I am not a child." She abruptly changed the subject. "What did you find out?"

The look on Will's face told Elizabeth quite clearly that he didn't want to let the matter drop, but he did anyway, probably realizing that there was no such thing as a private conversation on the deck of a ship full of pirates. Elizabeth was sure she would hear more about it later, though. "I didn't find out anything," Will answered her question with a sigh. "All anyone would tell me was what we already know – the last time he was here and so on."

"Well, then," Elizabeth smirked, "You should be glad I went into Tortuga."

"Why, what did you find out?" Will voiced the question, but everyone on deck was listening intently, eager to hear some news after days of no idea where Jack would be.

"Oh, I just heard from someone," Elizabeth explained, taking her time as she unpinned her hair and brushed it out with her fingers, "that there is a black ship washed up on an island, and it's in pretty bad shape."

Will was staring at her, mouth open. "What?"

"Oh, yes." Elizabeth was rather enjoying herself. She smiled. "I think you'll be surprised to hear where."

"Well, where is it?" one of the other pirates finally spoke up.

Elizabeth was nearly laughing now. "Do you remember the island where he was marooned and supposedly escaped by lassoing sea turtles? The island where Barbosa left the two of us when he sailed away with you?"

"Is that where he is?" Will asked incredulously.

Elizabeth was smirking again as she folded her arms. She imagined Jack stomping around the island muttering and complaining to himself and drinking rum, if there was any left. "According to my pirate friend, yes."

Will seemed to be thinking along the same lines as she was. He shook his head, still looking as if he couldn't believe the coincidence. "I bet he's not too happy about that."


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm not too happy about this." Jack Sparrow was eyeing the small rowboat warily, one eyebrow raised.

"Well, mate, take it or leave it." The other man standing on the beach frowned menacingly at him. "I've got me own problems and I ain't bothered about yours. But now I'm here and I know where the rum is so I can get it whether you give it to me or not. You're the only one who's got somethin' to lose – and that's a safe ride to Tortuga." He smirked and folded his arms, waiting for Jack's reply.

"Bloody pirates," Jack grumbled. Then he waved his arms and moved toward the boat. "Well, then, seeing as you've made some excellent points, I do believe I'll be joining you on your trip." He stepped into the boat and sat down, looking at the other man expectantly waiting for him to get in as well. "Comin', mate?"

With a glare, the other man replied, "I'm comin' when I'm good and ready." He looked back toward the charred trees near where the rum was stashed. "'ow much rum did you say was left in there?"

"Enough to hold you over for years to come," Jack replied earnestly, swiftly crossing his fingers behind his back. There was only enough to hold him for years to come if the man only wanted one sip each year – but he didn't need to know that. "More than this boat could carry." Jack tilted his head to the side and shot a glance out at the ship drifted offshore. "Is your crew trustworthy?" He narrowed his eyes. "You'll be wanting a trustworthy crew to get the rum for you, otherwise all of Tortuga will know where the stash is."

The other pirate grunted. "Aye, ye make a good point." He sighed and returned to the rowboat. "I'll be returnin' here afore long and it'll be worth the wait to keep the secret."

Jack nodded sagely and folded his arms. "That be a wise choice."

As the other pirate began to row back toward the ship from which he had come, he eyed Jack a little more closely than before. "What's your name, then? 'ave I seen you before?"

"No, I think not," Jack answered quickly with a jerk of his head. "Smith, or Smithy, is the name. Not many people know who I am," he added quickly, for good luck. He didn't want it to get around just yet that Jack Sparrow was still alive and kicking.

Or, well, alive and sitting in a rowboat anyway.

"Ye look a mite familiar," the pirate mused, then shrugged. "No matter. The name's Jack."

It took Jack a few very tense seconds to realize that the other pirate was talking about himself, not Jack Sparrow. He relaxed. Of course the other pirate couldn't possibly know who he really was. Jack Sparrow carefully, slowly pulled the sleeve of his shirt down on his right arm to cover his sparrow tattoo. It wouldn't do to have anyone see that right now. He'd had a hard enough time convincing the man not to go exploring around the island – he couldn't chance the other pirate finding the black ship sitting on the beach directly opposite from where he had landed in his rowboat.

"It'll take us a few days to reach Tortuga," Other Jack said conversationally.

"Aye, that it will," Jack Sparrow replied quietly, his thoughts far away and centering on a certain brown-haired woman that he would rather not be thinking about at the moment. He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts and looked at the other pirate. "What's the name of your captain?"

"Don't have a captain at the moment," Other Jack answered abruptly. "I be actin' captain. I was first mate. Captain was taken captive on the last boat we raided and we always stick strictly to the code." Other Jack gave an offhand shrug in between rows.

"He who falls behind is left behind," Jack said quietly with one side of his mouth turning up slightly. Other Jack didn't notice and continued to speak.

"I figure on getting' back to Tortuga, getting' rid of the crew what I 'ave now, findin' me a 'ole new one, an' comin' back for that rum." He grinned widely, exposing all his yellowed and rotting teeth. Jack Sparrow shuddered and stuck out his tongue. If that weren't the grossest thing he's ever seen.

Well except for the Kraken. And that one woman…

"Anyway, what's your story?"

"Nothing," Jack answered all too quickly and in a voice pitched somewhat higher than usual. He quickly cleared his throat and amended, "That is, it's not at all interesting. I was washed overboard from me last ship and swam three days 'til I found the island and the rum." He smiled and leaned back, relaxing on the bow of the rowboat. "And now all that rum is yours, mate."

With a greedy smile in return – which again exposed his nasty teeth and unhappily caused Jack's thoughts to turn back to that one woman – Other Jack answered, "Aye, an' I can't wait to come back an' get it!"

Jack smiled uneasily. "You'll be amazed." He didn't elaborate, thinking that would probably be an unwise decision. They had almost reached the pirate ship and Jack looked up to read the name painted on the side. "The 'Laughing Monkey'?" What the devil kind of name is that, mate?" he asked incredulously.

"That's the name the captain gave 'er. Don't like it much meself, but what'm I s'posed to do about it?" Other Jack shook his head with a wry smile.

"Just one question," Jack began, eying Other Jack warily.

"What's that?"

"You don't have any actual monkeys on board, do you?" Jack smiled weakly, trying to play it off as a joke.

Other Jack laughed. "We 'ave three!"

Jack groaned. He wasn't happy about this. He wasn't happy about this at all.


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you sure he was supposed to be here?"

Elizabeth gave Will a brief, stern look and then held one hand up to shade her eyes from the bright sunlight. She didn't even bother to answer Will's question. He was standing about fifteen feet away from her, staring at her, waiting for an answer. Elizabeth ignored him and walked up the beach, away from the water.

"There's one way to find out," Elizabeth muttered to herself, brushing some loose hairs out of her face. She felt as though she had just been here with Jack yesterday. The island seemed very quiet and lonely without him. Elizabeth marched steadily in the direction of the rum cellar, hoping she could find it as easily as Jack did. Will followed behind with a few others, trying to catch up.

"Elizabeth, there's no sign of anyone on this island besides us," he was saying, sounding somewhat exasperated. "Maybe he wasn't really here. It could have been a different island. I mean, there are so many in the Caribbean that they must all look alike."

Still steadily ignoring Will's rambling, Elizabeth bent down and lifted up the hidden door to the rum cellar. She smiled victoriously at Will. "I found it," she stated before beginning to descend the stairs.

"Wait." Will reached out and put his hand on Elizabeth's arm. "Let someone else go first." Several men stepped forward, ready to volunteer, but Elizabeth scoffed and pulled her arm away.

"There isn't a boogeyman waiting for me down there, Will," Elizabeth hissed. "And if Jack were there, he would have left the door open." She descended the stairs quickly and stood in one place, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Will and some others followed more slowly. It was cool and damp, which was a pleasant change from the midday island heat. However it was also stuffy, and, Elizabeth quickly realized, almost totally empty. She whirled around, coming face to face with Will. That position would have formerly left Elizabeth breathless, but she barely noticed now. "We should walk around the beach."

"Around the whole beach?" Will asked incredulously. He frowned and shook his head. "Elizabeth, this island is not big. This is the place where he was before." Will was trying not to think about the fact that Jack had been alone with Elizabeth on the island before. That only brought on more unpleasant thoughts – like Elizabeth kissing Jack, a matter which Will and Elizabeth still hadn't discussed. "This is the part of the beach closest to the rum cellar. If he were here –"

"Will," Elizabeth interrupted with a sigh. She was not in the best of moods. She hadn't realized how much she had been hoping to find Jack on the island until they reached it and didn't see him. Now she was fighting not to go storming off pouting like a little kid. She took a deep breath, trying to reign in her emotions and control her temper. "Like you said, this island isn't big. It won't take long to walk around the beach. Wouldn't you rather be absolutely certain that there is no sign of Jack before we sail off?"

Will stared at Elizabeth for several moments, and she stared back. He knew how stubborn Elizabeth could be, and as much as he might want to forget about Jack Sparrow right now, he knew he couldn't. Not only would Elizabeth not let him forget, but he felt he owed a lot to Jack, as much as he might dislike the pirate at times. "Fine. We'll split up."

"Fine." They all climbed back out of the cellar. "You go that way." Elizabeth pointed in one direction and immediately took off in the other.

"No, _we're_ sticking together," Will immediately retorted, falling into step next to her. "I meant the group will split up. What is with you today?"

Elizabeth hesitated before answering. She didn't want to give anything away, especially when she wasn't entirely sure herself what was wrong. "I guess I'm just frustrated that it's going to take longer to find Jack."

"Yeah, I would have preferred to get it over with myself," Will replied, relieved that Elizabeth was speaking more civilly to him. Elizabeth was just glad that Will was thinking along different lines than she was and had no idea what she was feeling. "But nothing with Jack can be so easy, can it?" Will actually laughed a bit here and glanced over at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth forced a smile until he looked away again. It was hard to be careful to hide her thoughts and not give anything away. She felt as though she were wearing a corset again – which she had vowed never to wear after fainting and falling into the water. That seemed like years ago. That was when she had first met Jack…

"The _Pearl_!" Will's exclamation interrupted Elizabeth's thoughts. He took her hand and began to run toward the black, beached ship. It was hard running on the sand, but they had reached the ship in moments and Will began looking it over.

Elizabeth stood staring up at it. Jack had been here. She was sure of it. If the Kraken hadn't destroyed the ship, then she was certain Jack was still alive. And while he was alive, he wouldn't have left his ship. But where was he now?

"It needs a lot of repair," Will called from somewhere on the deck of the ship. Elizabeth couldn't see him, but she could hear him walking around. "We can do some here, but then we'll have to tow it somewhere…" His voice faded as he got too far away for Elizabeth to hear him.

Elizabeth turned her back on the ship and scanned the island. She was desperate for some sign of Jack. The guilt was eating her up, and she wanted to see him with her own eyes to know that he was alive and well. She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. Elizabeth couldn't deny that she missed having Jack around, as much as she might want to avoid admitting it. And pretty soon she would have to admit it, not only to herself, but also to Will.

Suddenly, arms circled her from behind. Elizabeth, thoughts still centered on Jack, smiled and leaned back. It took her a few seconds to realize it was most certainly _not_ Jack who was holding her, and she stepped forward. Recovering quickly, Elizabeth turned around to face Will and asked, "What do you think we should do?"

Will didn't seem to notice that anything out of the ordinary had just happened, and Elizabeth was relieved. "I'll go get the others and we'll do what we can here. Then we'll try to tow her to Tortuga. I hope we can make it." He sighed and turned to look at the ship again. "I wish we knew where Jack was, though."

"Me, too," Elizabeth whispered, so quietly that Will didn't hear. She wrapped her arms tighter around herself. "Me, too."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N - Thank you for bearing with me in the inconsistency of my updates! I'm not a big fan of Jack/Elizabeth, so it's hard for me to get inspiration for this story. I've been watching the movies, though, and that helps. Expect this story to be finished by the end of the week!**

Huge thanks to Crystalina du Starrvan for sticking with it and coming back to read and review, even after so long - you're awesome!

The trip was longer than it should have been, but finally it was over. In many ways it was good to be in Tortuga again. Jack always felt as though he were coming home when he returned to the island. This was somewhere he felt safe – as safe as a pirate could feel, anyway – and where the surroundings were very familiar. He was well-known here and well-liked – as well-liked as a pirate could be, anyway – and Jack knew exactly where he wanted to go as soon as he reached Tortuga.

Unfortunately there was a small delay. Almost as soon as he set foot on the dock, he received his usual greeting. Some woman strode up to Jack and before he could greet her, slapped his face so hard he reeled around.

"Not sure I deserved that," he muttered, turning to face the redhead, a deep scowl on his face.

"You most certainly did, Jack Sparrow." She had her hands on her hips and her lips pursed in obvious irritation as she tapped her foot. Her voice was like fingernails on a slate to Jack and he winced.

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow," he corrected, trying to speak gently so as not to make her any more upset than she already was. Jack glanced over his shoulder at the pirate ship he had just stepped off of. He felt a sudden longing for the company of the three monkeys on board. He hadn't realized how much he preferred their presence to the presence of certain people.

The woman brought Jack out of his reverie by stomping her foot and storming off. Jack breathed a sigh of relief and began to make his way toward the tavern. He was just laughing at the drunken antics of a nearby pirate who seemed to be attempting to climb onto the balcony of an inn. He wasn't having much success, but that was probably due to the fact that he was trying to climb by way of a teetering tower of barrels.

"You are not going to get far that way, mate," Jack called, swaggering importantly. "Trust me. I know from experience."

"Well, if it isn't Jack Sparrow."

Jack stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to face another woman, this time with raven hair. Jack tilted his head to the side. With that expression on her face she looked quite similar to the other woman he had just been greeted by a few minutes ago. Jack scowled. Where were these women coming from anyway? They looked familiar. Did he know them? He took a wild guess. "Anastasia!"

"Who's she?" The woman reached out and slapped Jack's cheek – the one that hadn't been slapped yet – and then stormed off.

"So far, I am not feeling very welcome here in Tortuga," Jack grumbled. He glared over at a pirate who was ambling by and said loudly, "I need a monkey!"

The man looked at him strangely. "No monkeys here," he said warily.

"Aye. I know that," Jack told him as though stating something obvious. "That's why I need one. I want to shoot _something._"

Without a backward glance, the pirate took off running. Jack watched him go, wondering what his problem was, then shrugged and began to make his way toward the tavern again. Finally he was able to make it to the building with no interruptions. He stepped inside and immediately his senses were assaulted. He smelled rum. There were countless people inside. The noise was overwhelming. Jack sighed happily and began to make his way to the bartender. Yet another woman stepped in front of him. Jack was beginning to wonder if it was the same woman each time wearing a disguise. This woman said nothing so Jack tried again to guess her name, "Tamara!"

"Anastasia!" the woman corrected him. She slapped his face angrily.

"I knew that one of you was Anastasia, but I couldn't remember who," Jack told her, trying to smooth things over with his joking. It didn't work.

The woman smacked him on his other cheek before storming off.

"I need some rum." Jack hurried over to the bartender, got the biggest mug of rum that he could, and sulked in a corner while he drank. He had been hoping that once he reached Tortuga there would be at least one friendly face around, but so far, none of the people he had come into contact with had been friendly.

Jack sat nursing his rum and trying to relax. He thought back over the events of the past week and realized that it was very lucky he was even here right now. His thoughts turned to his wrecked ship, his beloved _Pearl_ and he immediately began to scan the room, trying to think of who could possibly repair it for him.

Happily enough, his eyes came to rest on a man known only as Tyrone. He was one of the most well-known ship builders in Tortuga. Jack gulped down the rest of his rum and sauntered over to where the man was sitting. He stood silently beside the table until Tyrone looked up.

"Hello there, mate." Jack seated himself across from Tyrone without waiting to be invited. "I'm calling in that favor." He motioned for another mug of rum and began to drink it.

"Eh?" Tyrone was eyeing Jack. "And what favor might that be?"

"Oh you remember." Jack waved his hand and leaned back in his chair, waiting for some sign of acknowledgement.

"Obviously I don't, or I wouldn't be askin' ya." Tyrone only blinked. His face remained expressionless, but he was well-known for his temper and Jack didn't want to push it.

"That time I saved your back from the British admiral who was going to run you through," Jack stated succinctly. That was a slight exaggeration. The admiral had been about to attempt to kill Tyrone, but Jack hadn't actually saved Tyrone on purpose. Jack and Tyrone had been on the same pirate ship at the time, and they had been stopped by a British ship. Jack had been swinging wildly on a rope, trying to get his arm disentangled, when he had suddenly slammed into the British admiral at just the right moment to save Tyrone's skin.

"And what is it you want me to do?" Tyrone took a gulp of his own rum and eyed Jack patiently, waiting for an explanation.

Jack leaned forward on the table and spoke in a low voice. "Here's my problem. The _Pearl _is damaged and needs some repairs."

"That should be easy enough."

"All right, then, you have no objection?" Jack held out his right hand. "Do we have an accord?"

"We do." Tyrone shook hands with Jack.

"Savvy." Jack stood. "We can find a ship and be off tomorrow then." Something caught Jack's eye and he turned to look toward the entrance, missing the dark look that crossed Tyrone's face.

"Be off? Jack Sparrow, what are you talking about?" Tyrone's voice was deep and gravelly, and he did not sound happy.

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow," Jack corrected out of habit, but he wasn't really paying any attention anymore. Someone had just walked into the front door of the tavern – someone very unexpected and maybe unwelcome. Definitely unwelcome here. Jack picked up his mug and looked down at Tyrone. "Hide the rum," he advised and rushed off toward the stairs to make himself, and his rum, scarce.

Why had Elizabeth come here?


	7. Chapter 7

It had been a long journey, but they had made good time since they were towing another ship behind them. Nevertheless, Elizabeth was very glad to set foot on land again. She wasn't thrilled about being in Tortuga again. The pirate island was not high on her list of vacation spots. But if it meant getting the _Black Pearl_ repaired and being closer to finding Jack, Elizabeth knew it was worth it.

Against Will's wishes, she put on a pair of breeches and with a shirt and jacket, along with a hat. She wasn't trying to disguise herself exactly, but Elizabeth knew she wouldn't be as noticeable as a woman if she didn't wear a dress. She had also discovered in her adventures that it was much easier to move around quickly in pants. Since she had no idea what the evening would bring, Elizabeth decided that it would be a good idea to be able to move freely about. She also strapped a sword at her side, just to be prepared.

Will was not happy with her when they disembarked from the ship and began to make their way through Tortuga.

"It probably would have been a better idea for you to have stayed behind on the ship," he was saying.

"You have got to be joking," Elizabeth muttered, barely refraining from rolling her eyes. "Will, I am not a child. I can take care of myself. Haven't you been paying any attention to me? I am perfectly fine, and capable of handling anything that comes my way."

"But I would rather you were somewhere safe, somewhere where I knew where you were." Will reached for the hilt of his sword as someone bumped between them. He gripped it tightly in his fist, but didn't draw it.

Tia Dalma, who was following closely behind, spoke up, "Where are we going?" She looked back and forth between the two of them as though she knew something was wrong – which, Elizabeth figured, she probably did.

"To the tavern," Will and Elizabeth answered in unison, then shot each other glares for no particular reason.

Elizabeth huffed and started walking faster. Will was grating on her nerves. She just wanted him to realize that she didn't need protecting. She could take care of herself just fine. After months spent in the company of pirates, Elizabeth wasn't a pampered little lady anymore. "Look," Elizabeth bit out, turning her head to talk to Will over her shoulder, "let's just find someone to fix the _Pearl_ and see if we can get any information about Jack. Then we can go back to the ship and you can relax."

"I could have done that on my own," Will retorted.

"Because you did so well at that last time," Elizabeth shot back sarcastically. "I would really like to find Jack, and you can't seem to get sufficient information—"

"There it is, Jack again." Will grabbed Elizabeth's arm and pulled her roughly to stand next to a building, apart from the nighttime Tortuga bustle. "We need to talk."

"I thought that's what we were doing?" Elizabeth still had a sarcastic note to her voice, but her heart sped up slightly. Was this it? Was this the talk where Will realized that she didn't feel the same for him as she had? She still wasn't entirely sure herself what she felt, but she knew her feelings had changed. She hoped that Will wouldn't interrogate her, not now.

Will ignored her sarcasm and stated, "I know you kissed him."

"Kissed who?" Elizabeth wasn't feigning innocence, she was just trying to buy time to figure out what she was going to say.

"You kissed Jack. I saw you, just before we left him on the _Pearl_." Will was talking low to lessen their chances of being overheard, but the low volume did not lessen the sound of the anger in his voice. "What was that all about? Why did you kiss him? Was that the only time? Or have you been going behind my back all this time?"

Elizabeth couldn't help but glare back at Will. She may be confused about her feelings now, but she resented Will's questioning her honor. She opened her mouth to reply, but Will spoke again.

"You need to just tell me. If you choose Jack over me, fine, but I need to know. It's not right for you to go behind my back like that. I know he's a pirate, but I would have expected better from you. I trusted you—"

"I'll explain if you stop talking," Elizabeth interrupted. She was so angry with him she wanted to slap him, but she refrained. When she spoke, her voice was low and even, but only because she was so furious. "You have no idea what you are talking about. I would never go behind your back like that, and neither would Jack. He's a good man."

"Defending Jack again, I see—"

"Which proves nothing!" Elizabeth's voice rose in pitch because of her fury, but did not rise in volume. "You are saying horrible things about both of us and I'm not going to just stand by."

Will turned around and took a deep breath before facing Elizabeth again. "I saw you kiss him."

"Yes. I kissed him." Elizabeth put her hands on her hips. "But the reason I did it was to distract him while I chained him to the mast of the _Black Pearl_ so the Kraken would go after him so we could get away!" There, she had said it. She had finally admitted it out loud. She was breathing deeply now, as though she had just run a long way, and she couldn't look Will in the face anymore. Elizabeth felt tears stinging the back of her eyes and she fought to keep them in.

Will seemed to deflate for a moment. "Oh. But did you have to kiss him?"

"Probably not. I probably could have distracted him another way, but that was the first thing that came to mind. Do you recommend something better?" Elizabeth was speaking sarcastically again to keep her true emotions from being revealed in her voice. "I wish I hadn't done it at all." If she hadn't, then she wouldn't be feeling the tremendous weight of guilt right now and her feelings for Will and Jack wouldn't be so confused.

"We'll find him," Will said softly. He pulled Elizabeth into a hug and sighed. He still wasn't sure what to think, but he didn't want to stay angry at Elizabeth right now. He cared too much about her and her happiness, and obviously she was miserable enough without him yelling at her on top of it all. "Come on, let's go." He took her hand and they both resumed their walk toward the tavern, not speaking a word to Tia Dalma or the other three pirates who were following along.

Will stepped into the tavern first and Elizabeth followed closely behind. She dropped Will's hand upon entering, and looked around, taking in everything that was going on. It was loud, so loud she almost didn't hear Will say he was going to go talk to the bartender. But she just barely did. Elizabeth nodded and began to make her way around the large room, trying to see if there were any familiar faces.

That's when she saw him. Captain Jack Sparrow, hurtling up the stairs as though his life depended on it. Elizabeth's heart felt as though it would jump out of her chest at the sight of him and her eyes widened in delight. He was alive! He was relatively all right! Elizabeth began to push her way through the crowd, trying to follow him up the stairs. By the time she reached them, Jack had disappeared from sight, but Elizabeth was determined not to let him slip away without talking to him, at least for a minute.

With fresh resolution, Elizabeth began to make her way around the second floor, knowing it was only a matter of time before she was face to face with Jack again, and wondering how they would both react.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you to my awesome reviewer Crystalyna du Starrvan! Also thank you to everyone else who is reading, but please review and let me know what you think! **

Jack had found the perfect hiding place.

He peeked out from behind the leaves of the plant to take stock of his surroundings. When he didn't see Elizabeth at all, he made a quick decision. He picked up the plant and began moving slowly toward the other staircase, planning to make his way down and out of the tavern without being spotted.

"Brilliant plan, mate," he was just congratulating himself. That's when things went all wrong. Suddenly standing in front of Jack was Will Turner. Jack grew very still. "Think like a tree," he told himself quietly.

"Well if it isn't Captain Jack Sparrow," he heard from behind him.

No, it couldn't be. His disguise was perfect; no one could possibly know it was him – could they? Jack wrinkled his nose in frustration and tried to decide what to do. While he was deciding, he saw Elizabeth Swann come to stand beside him. She had her arms crossed and was looking at him with mixed feelings showing on her face. And she was wearing…no, not those clothes again!

Jack threw the plant aside and turned to face her. "As I've said before, darling, those clothes do not suit you in the least. It should be a dress or nothing." He looked around. "And there seem to be no dresses available at the moment."

Whatever reply Elizabeth would have made, Jack would never get to hear it. Just at that moment, Tyrone approached Jack with a menacing look on his face.

"Ah, Tyrone!" Jack greeted him cheerfully, and took a swig of his mug of rum. "I'd like to introduce you to Elizabeth Swann, who really does look much better out of those clothes, I promise you." Jack grinned at Elizabeth's shocked look, but continued speaking. He motioned to Will, who was now standing next to Elizabeth, looking at Tyrone with confusion. "And here is Mr. Will Turner—"

"What were ya sayin' about leaving Tortuga?" Tyrone interrupted, not caring in the least about meeting this new people. He cracked his knuckles.

"Well, you see," Jack took another gulp of his rum for courage. "The _Pearl_ isn't exactly in Tortuga at the mo—"

"Yes, it is," Elizabeth interrupted.

Jack stopped talking, blinked his eyes, and turned to look at her. "No, it is _not_."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it is_ not_." Jack grinned at her again. "We could keep this up all day, love, but it doesn't change the fact that the _Pearl_ is beached on a godforsaken spit of land and—"

"No, we towed it here," Will spoke up. He was still eyeing Tyrone. "It's here in Tortuga."

Jack didn't even register his surprise. He immediately turned to Tyrone and said, "There, you see! Work can begin tomorrow!"

Tyrone still looked a little wary, but he hesitantly agreed. They worked out the particulars and Tyrone returned to his table to finish off his rum. Jack was left alone with Will and Elizabeth and had just opened his mouth to speak when another pirate came running up to them.

"Jack, there's somethin' you might be interested in knowin'," the man whispered to him.

"Bill, I am very busy right now," Jack replied quietly, glancing at Will and Elizabeth out of the corner of his eye. He was really trying to figure out how to make his escape. Maybe Bill could help him. "On second thought, let's go."

"Wait," Will commanded. Jack froze just as he was turning to follow Bill and glanced back over his shoulder. Will was frowning. "You're not going anywhere. We've spent all this time looking for you – you're not getting away that easily."

"But this is important!" Bill spoke up.

"Yes, very important, sorry," Jack began to walk away again, pushing Bill in front of him, eager to make his escape.

"Then we're coming with you," Elizabeth told him and she and Will fell into step behind him.

Jack grumbled, but went along with it for now. He could always make his escape later. After all, he was Captain Jack Sparrow.

- - - - -

"That's very interesting," Jack was saying, looking off into space.

"But if Beckett has the heart, he can control the all the seas," Will was protesting.

"That's very interesting," Jack repeated.

"Jack, we have to do something!"

Elizabeth's voice broke into his thoughts and Jack fixed his eyes on her. Those clothes really didn't suit her. Jack shook his head. He didn't need to be thinking about her. "We need to do something."

"That's what I just said," Elizabeth told him in frustration.

Jack ignored her – or pretended to. He couldn't actually ignore her. The feeling of her kiss haunted him whenever he looked at her… Jack reined in his thoughts again and spoke. "What we need to do is get that heart. If we get it and stab it, that's the end of old Davy Jones and his…pet."

"But how in the world will we do that," Elizabeth asked. She hadn't looked away from Jack once. He could feel her eyes boring holes into him.

He pretended to ignore her some more.

"The only way to do that is to go back to Port Royal," Will said in a quiet voice. "Once the _Black Pearl_ is repaired, we'll have to sail back and somehow get the heart away from Beckett."

"Unless he isn't _in_ Port Royal," Jack said. He took a gulp of his rum. "We have to go wherever Beckett is, because wherever Beckett is is where the heart is, and where the heart is is where Beckett is – savvy?"

Will and Elizabeth were just staring at him with blank looks on their faces.

Jack sighed. Were these people idiots? He decided not to consider the question further. "Look, we use my compass to find out where the heart is and we go get it. It's simple." He decided not to elaborate on it. He didn't want either of them changing their mind once they found out that if you stabbed Davy Jones' heart, then your own heart would take its place and you would be captain of the _Flying Dutchman_ forever.

Or until your heart was stabbed, whichever came first.

And as appealing as living forever sounded, Jack just didn't know if he could go without stepping foot on land for ten years at a time. He needed his rum. His eyes strayed to Elizabeth. She was still looking at him. Jack looked away and began discussing the plan with Will.

When they left the tavern hours later, they had something of a plan worked out, but Elizabeth was still weighing heavily on Jack's thoughts. He just couldn't wipe away the memory of their kiss. It had ended so badly, but Jack wondered if maybe it wasn't worth it.

He decided he'd have to try it again sometime before he could make a decision.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Ahhh!!! I had serious writer's block today, but they say the best remedy is to just keep writing...so I did. I hope the chapter runs smoothly. It went better toward the end, but the beginning was rough getting going. Let me know if it doesn't sound right and I'll edit it.**

**Thank you, temari13, for finally reviewing the story I'm writing for you! Hahaha... ;-D**

The cool air and the sea spray helped to calm Elizabeth. She leaned her arms on the railing of the _Black Pearl_ and looked out at the endless expanse of water. It was impossible to tell exactly where the horizon was at night because the water was the same dark color as the sky, and it reflected all the stars.

She sighed and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to try to relax. The last several days had been more than stressful for her. She had thought her feelings were confusing before, but now that Jack was actually here, Elizabeth was having an even harder time sorting them out. She was hoping that some time alone would help.

"You have a lot on your mind."

Elizabeth sighed and nodded, but didn't turn her head. So much for time alone. She didn't resent Tia Dalma's joining her, however. Elizabeth was actually hoping that Tia Dalma might have some advice or wise comment to help her figure out her feelings.

Tia Dalma joined Elizabeth at the railing. "What is it that vexes you so?" She looked sidelong at Elizabeth, who got the feeling that Tia Dalma already knew the answer to the question.

"What else?" Elizabeth asked with an ironic laugh. "Men."

"Ah yes." Tia Dalma smiled a knowing smile. "Captain Jack Sparrow does make things difficult," she commented in her musical accent.

"Who said anything about Jack?" Elizabeth looked at Tia Dalma sharply. "Will has been driving me crazy lately. He treats me like a child. It's as though he doesn't think I am capable of taking care of myself."

"Is that so?" Tia Dalma chuckled knowingly. "Could it be that your feelings have changed and that is why you feel he is treating you like that?" Tia Dalma raised an eyebrow, still smiling at Elizabeth as though she could read her mind. "Has he really changed that much?"

Elizabeth, frowning, opened her mouth to make a sharp reply, but no words would come. Still frowning, she looked away. Was Tia Dalma right? Was Will only bothering her so much lately because her feelings had changed? Maybe Will wasn't acting any differently than usual, and it was only because she was so confused that it seemed to be that he had changed.

After a few minutes, and not another word, Elizabeth glanced at Tia Dalma once more before going below deck to her cabin. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. She didn't even want to think about it, but she couldn't escape her thoughts as she prepared for bed.

Tia Dalma didn't move from her position at the railing, and the smile did not fade from her lips.

- - - - -

The next day, Elizabeth had just gotten out of her bunk – she hadn't slept a wink – when someone pounded on her door. She whipped the blanket off her bunk and wrapped it around herself before cracking the door open. Will was standing there. He looked a little wary. It was no wonder – Elizabeth had been avoiding him ever since they had left Tortuga except to snap at him a few times. She hadn't been the most pleasant company.

"We should reach Port Royal by nightfall," Will told her. "We need to have a plan."

Elizabeth only nodded and began to shut the door.

Will reached out and put his hand on the door. "Wait." When Elizabeth looked at him quizzically, he said, "We haven't talked much lately. Are you all right?"

"Yes." Elizabeth nodded and sighed, but turned her head. "Yes, I'm fine. We'll have to talk later. For now I need to get dressed."

When will was gone, Elizabeth sank onto her bunk and buried her face in her hands. A whole night of tossing and turning and she still hadn't come to any real conclusions. The only thing that she was sure of was that she couldn't keep going like this. While she had any doubts about her feelings for Will, it wasn't fair to either of them to pretend that she didn't. And as much as she hated to admit it, Elizabeth couldn't deny any longer that she did feel something for Jack. The sight of Jack would make her heart beat faster; the sight of Will did nothing.

With a sigh, Elizabeth stood and changed. She hadn't worn a dress since they left Tortuga. A dress just wasn't practical while on board a pirate ship. Jack enjoyed commenting on her wardrobe at every given opportunity, and Elizabeth couldn't help smiling at the thought of the things he would say. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, shoved her feet into boots, and grabbed her hat before leaving her cabin.

As soon as she stepped out, Elizabeth had to stop in her tracks. She had almost run headlong into Jack Sparrow himself.

"Good morning, love," he said, looking her up and down.

Elizabeth folded her arms in front of her. "Hello, Jack."

"We'll have reached Port Royal by nightfall."

"I know. Will told me." Elizabeth glanced around, feeling guilty just standing here talking to Jack in such close quarters.

"Home, sweet home, eh?" Jack asked with a little grin.

He was teasing, but Elizabeth didn't have the heart to joke along. She shook her head slowly and looked down. "I'm not sure where home is anymore," she said quietly.

"You're becoming more and more like a pirate every day!"

"That doesn't make me feel better, Jack." Elizabeth shot him a pointed look. In truth, she was holding back a laugh – but he couldn't see that.

"It should." Jack lifted the ever-present bottle of rum to his lips to take a gulp. "Don't you remember what you told me when you shackled me to the _Pearl_? You said, 'I'm not sorry.' You should think like that more often – no regrets and all that."

Elizabeth stared up at Jack for a moment. "Do you honestly have no regrets in your life, Jack?"

He hesitated before answering. "No, I do." He looked down at her. "Do you?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"And what is your biggest regret?" Jack asked quietly in a rare serious moment, taking a step closer so that they were almost touching.

"Why do you want to know?" Elizabeth replied.

Jack paused, then smiled. "Curiosity." He was standing so close now that Elizabeth could feel his breath on her face. And he was moving closer.

"Jack…" she whispered, glancing at his lips. Was he really going to do what she thought he was going to – what she had been dreaming about?

Yes, he did. He leaned forward another centimeter and kissed her. Elizabeth responded by wrapping her fingers around the lapels of his jacket, pulling him closer still. In the back of her mind, she could hear her conscience screaming at her and she knew she would have to pay the price later for her actions now, but she didn't care.

Finally, Jack pulled away. He looked down at Elizabeth for a minute before saying, "Yup." Then he began to walk away, leaving Elizabeth staring after him in bewilderment.

Elizabeth blinked, confused. "What? What do you mean, 'yup'?"

Jack didn't stop, just called back over his shoulder, "Yup, it was worth it."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I read them all, I just don't have time to reply to them all right now! I've been so busy getting ready for school (starting tomorrow!) and I've been kind of overwhelmed. But once I settle into a routine, I think I'll be able to get back to updating every other day or so and reply to your reviews.**

**In the meantime, please keep reading, enjoying, and REVIEWING! :-)**

Jack exchanged a glance with Elizabeth. She looked away from him, a slight smile on her face. Jack smirked in self-satisfaction and looked down at the map again. He, Will, Elizabeth, and Tia Dalma were looking at a map of Port Royal, trying to decide on the best course of action for getting to the heart.

So far they hadn't come up with much.

"I still think that the best plan is the simple one," Jack spoke up. "I sneak in, grab the heart, and sneak out. Simple and easy to remember."

"But not practical," Will argued. He pointed to the map. "Here's Beckett's mansion. The heart is probably there. If I know Beckett, he probably thinks that that's the safest place for it."

"If he's even in Port Royal," Jack muttered into his bottle of rum, shooting a dirty look at Will.

Will ignored the look and seemed to consider what Jack had said. "That's true."

"Now he comes to his senses." Jack threw his hands up into the air, almost spilling his rum. He looked at the bottle with an injured look on his face. Suddenly he smiled and said, "Ah! No harm done!" and took another gulp.

"Whatever happened to the idea of using your compass to find out where they are?" Elizabeth asked suddenly, with a pointed look at Jack. "That way if Lord Beckett isn't in Port Royal, we can just follow your compass."

"Oh! Uh…" Jack suddenly became extremely interested in a knot in the wood on the wall. "This knot looks just like Barbossa's face," he said excitedly, pointing. He turned to see the other three did not look quite as interested in the knot as he was. "Oh." Jack cleared his throat. "I thought that following Will's idea was better." Jack glanced at Tia Dalma; he didn't like that knowing glint in her eye.

"You're the one who brought up the fact that he might not even be in Port Royal," Will argued in exasperation. "Tell us the truth, Jack."

Jack looked wildly around, trying to find some way to make his escape without admitting the truth.

A smile stretched across Tia Dalma's face. Before Jack could react, she said in an amused voice, "Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants." Tia Dalma put her hands on her hips and inclined her head toward him. "Or maybe he does, but won't admit it."

Jack thought fast – as fast as the rum would allow, anyway. He did know what he wanted and the compass knew what he wanted, but Tia Dalma was right – he most certainly did not want to admit it. What would everyone think if Jack announced that every time he opened the compass it pointed straight at Elizabeth?

Well, or rum, depending on his mood, but that was normal.

Just to be sure, Jack reached for his compass and flipped it open. He studied it closely with a frown. It spun a few times and then stopped, pointing directly at Elizabeth. Jack snapped the compass closed and tucked it back into his pocket. He brushed off his clothes and began examining his fingernails.

Will was the first to speak up, impatience lacing his voice. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Jack asked. He looked up Will with a blank look. Maybe Will would have forgotten what the current topic of conversation was.

"Does your compass work, or not?"

Jack frowned at Will. What an insulting question. "My compass works," he informed everyone firmly.

"So let's use it," Elizabeth interjected.

"That may not be such a good idea," Jack replied, talking into his bottle of rum as he lifted it to take another gulp.

Tia Dalma laughed. "You see – he will not admit what it says to him."

"Fine, then." Will was obviously irritated, and Jack fought to keep his laughter inside while Will looked down at the map again. Will was far too easy to irritate.

And Jack knew of a sure-fire way to annoy him some more. He ambled casually over to stand next to Elizabeth, quite a bit closer than necessary. He focused his gaze on Will's face, ignoring Tia Dalma's piercing stare. _I swear that woman can see right into my soul_, Jack thought with a small shudder.

"Let's go ahead and stick with the simple plan, as Jack called it," Will was saying. He glanced up at Jack as he spoke and couldn't hide the look of displeasure that came over his face. However, he just continued speaking. "If the heart _is_ here, then let's try to take it. If it's not, we'll just have to do what we can to find out where it is."

"Who is to go ashore?" Tia Dalma asked, looking back and forth among the three of them.

"I will," they all answered at once, then stared at each other, each with their own thoughts.

"I should go," Elizabeth spoke up before either of the men could. "I can go dressed like this." Will was about to protest, but she continued speaking. Jack couldn't hold back a smile of amusement at the look on Will's face. "It's the perfect disguise, don't you see? You and Jack are too recognizable, but no one will be thinking to look for me dressed like a man." Elizabeth turned to look at Jack and then back at Will.

Jack saw his opportunity to goad Will a little bit more, and slid his arm around Elizabeth's shoulders. "I think she's right, mate."

Will was sending Jack a death glare and Jack only grinned back with confidence and amusement. He had felt Elizabeth tense, but she didn't pull away. He was waiting for Will to say something, but it was taking too long for him to speak up. Jack raised his eyebrows and took a swig of his rum. _It's your go_, he mentally told Will.

"Absolutely not," Will stated firmly. "I won't allow you to be put in that kind of danger."

Jack grinned again. "Have you forgotten where you are? This is a pirate ship. Elizabeth is in the company of pirates. What more danger is there?" Jack was enjoying Will's discomfort and didn't bother to hide it as his grin gained an air of smugness.

Will looked furious now. Jack only laughed.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you, Crystalyna Du Starrvan for always reading and reviewing - you are super-wonderful. Thanks also to everyone who is reading and favoriting, you're cool, too. :-)**

Elizabeth shrugged Jack's arm off her shoulders. She knew he was only doing that to bother Will, and Elizabeth didn't think that was very fair. She took a step closer to Will and held her arms out at her side.

"If you have a better idea, tell us," she stated simply. "Otherwise, the best plan is for me to go ashore dressed like this. No one will know me."

Will stared into Elizabeth's eyes for a long minute, and she stared right back. For some reason this was important to Elizabeth. She needed to do this. She wanted to do something important that would help, rather than just following along all the time. And she wanted to prove to Will and anyone else who might doubt it that she was capable of taking care of herself.

"Fine," Will finally responded tightly. He looked upset, but he didn't say anything more about his feelings on the subject. "Someone will take you ashore." He lowered his voice and took a step closer to Elizabeth. "But if you aren't back within two hours, I am coming after you. Understand?"

Elizabeth nodded, holding in her laughter and keeping a totally straight face. She wouldn't hurt his feelings by laughing at him because he cared, but she couldn't help but think he was being way overprotective. After all, how long had it been since pirates had first shown up in their lives? And Elizabeth had hardly been out of pirate society since.

Elizabeth was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Will lowering his head until his lips met hers. She kissed back, but it was more out of habit than any real desire to kiss him. She finally understood with a jolt that she really didn't have the same kind of feelings for Will that she had.

_I need to tell him_, she thought when he pulled away. She looked up at him and whispered, "Will…"

Almost as though he knew what she were going to say, Will began talking loudly of the plan. Elizabeth was sure he had heard her, but he was pretending he hadn't. Elizabeth sighed and decided she would just have to talk to him later.

- - - - -

With a lot of grumbling, Elizabeth climbed out of the small boat and made her way up the beach toward the town. She was in a bad mood. Not only had she not had the chance to talk to Will, but neither he nor Jack had left her side the rest of the day. It had been completely impossible to get away from either of them.

What annoyed Elizabeth even more was that she knew they were both doing it on purpose. Will hadn't wanted to leave Elizabeth alone with Jack, showing even less trust for the pirate than usual. Elizabeth was sure Jack was just trying to annoy Will and maybe even prevent Elizabeth from talking to him. The result was a very grumpy Elizabeth who hadn't had a moment to herself all day, a grumpy Will who was tired of Jack's actions, and a cheerful Jack who couldn't seem to be swayed by anyone else's emotions.

_Well, good for him_, Elizabeth complained to herself. _He's the cause of all this trouble and he's the only cheerful one. The least he could do is be as miserable as I am!_

Elizabeth walked through the streets of Port Royal, keeping off the main streets and out of the more well-lit places. She was positive no one would recognize her even if there were more people out at night, but she also didn't want to take any chances. Better safe than sorry.

Some time later, Elizabeth reached Lord Beckett's mansion and stood in the brush beside it, trying to decide what was the best way to get in. There were no guards, which seemed strange to Elizabeth if Beckett were keeping anything valuable there – like the heart. She sneaked up to the back door and slowly turned the knob, testing it.

It was unlocked. Elizabeth silently opened the door. Of course it didn't squeak; Beckett would have it kept well-oiled. All the better for her! Elizabeth sneaked into the kitchen and then tried to decide where she should go. She turned down a hallway and then another, and eventually found herself in what appeared to be Beckett's office.

The house remained silent and still as Elizabeth walked over to the desk, preparing to search the drawers. Apparently everyone was asleep, which was fine with Elizabeth. It would be easier to hear if someone began to move around. Elizabeth reached out for one of the desk drawers, but just as she rested her hand on the handle, her eyes caught sight of a map laid on the top of the desk.

She paused to examine the map. Then her eyes widened. She stood motionless for a few moments, taking everything in, every detail. When Elizabeth was sure she would remember, she turned…

…and came face to face with a man standing in the doorway.

Elizabeth muffled a scream of fright, remembering just in time that she was supposed to be a man. All she could see was the man's outline, but he didn't move. She didn't speak a word, but stared at the man, waiting for him to do or say something.

"What are you doing?" he asked, sounding baffled and maybe stunned to find her there.

Elizabeth gasped. It was James Norrington. She debated internally for several moments, trying to decide whether to reveal herself to him or not. She couldn't decide if it would be in her best interest or if it would just get her into more trouble.

"I said, what are you doing?" he asked, this time speaking in a stern voice and even reaching for his sword. "I don't recognize you, so I can only assume you are here on some dishonest errand, probably thievery. " He drew his sword and stepped closer to Elizabeth.

In response, Elizabeth drew her own sword. She had grown quite skillful with a blade and was confident enough in her abilities, at least to defend herself. But she still said nothing, still debating.

And still James hesitated to take any action. "Do I know you?" he asked slowly.

Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder. There was a window, open onto a deck just behind her. She had a way of escape if necessary. She decided to answer. "Yes," she said quietly.

James' head jerked back slightly in shock. "Elizabeth Swann?" he asked.

"Where is it, James?"

"Where is what?" If Elizabeth had thought he were stunned before, he was even more so now.

"The heart. I know you took it. Where is it?" Elizabeth was speaking in a low voice, every muscle tensed to make her escape.

"Beckett has it."

Elizabeth nodded. Exactly what she had surmised from the map. She backed slowly toward the window. "Goodbye, James."

"Wait, don't leave…"

But Elizabeth was already gone, running back toward the beach and the boat that would take her to safety. Strange that she would think of a pirate ship as safe and what had once been her home as just the opposite.

She didn't stop or look behind her, but she felt as though James were still watching her all the way back to the beach.


	12. Chapter 12

4

Jack stopped pacing the deck only long enough to glance at his compass. It pointed to his right hand, which was holding a bottle of rum, of course. Jack lifted the bottle to his lips and took a big gulp before looking at his compass again. Yes, of course. Now it was pointing to land.

With a sigh, Jack stepped over to the railing of the ship and leaned on it. His eyes strained to see anything even though it was far too dark and the beach was too far away.

He would never admit it to anyone, even himself – or maybe especially to himself – but he was worried about Elizabeth. Jack still thought that the plan for Elizabeth to go ashore was the best one, but that didn't mean it was flawless. There were so many things that could go wrong that Jack didn't even want to think about it. It wasn't even that he didn't trust Elizabeth. He'd seen what she was capable of, and he had the utmost confidence in her abilities.

But, in Jack's experience, things had a way of going completely and utterly wrong.

Like the time, or times, he had been marooned on an island.

Or when he had been captured by cannibals and almost eaten.

Or the time he had been left behind for the Kraken's lunch.

Jack shuddered and stepped away from the railing. Too many bad memories. He hummed quietly, trying to distract himself, and walked over to the wheel, setting his bottle of rum on a nearby barrel to leave his hands free. The ship was anchored, so it wasn't going anywhere, but Jack liked the feel of the smooth wood under his hands.

He stood there for a long time.

The sound of oars broke into Jack's wandering thoughts, and he straightened up. He walked back over to the railing, his bottle of rum forgotten. He maintained a calm outward appearance, but his heart was pounding.

A few moments later, Will, Tia Dalma, and a few others joined him at the railing. Jack didn't acknowledge their presence – any of them. He was entirely focused on the approaching boat, straining to make out the number of people on it. He had given the pirate that took Elizabeth ashore strict orders not to return to the ship without her, but with pirates you never knew.

Jack breathed a silent sigh of relief just as Will stated, "She's back."

"We can all see that just fine, mate," Jack told Will with a pat on his shoulder. He walked over to the opening in the railing where Elizabeth would be climbing back onto the _Pearl_. As soon as the boat reached the side of the _Pearl_, Elizabeth began to climb up. When she reached the top, Jack offered his hand to help her on board, relishing the feel of her hand in his.

She didn't meet his eyes, and Jack scowled.

"The heart isn't there, but I know where it is," Elizabeth said breathlessly. She withdrew her hand from Jack's grasp, still not looking at him.

"Do share," Jack prompted, feeling neglected. He looked around. Where had he left his rum? "Oh!" Jack returned to the wheel to grab his bottle of rum and made it back to the group just in time to hear Elizabeth finish her story.

"… so we need to go East." She smiled smugly, obviously proud of herself for the work she had done.

"Brilliant, darling," Jack said, sarcastically. He was going to get her attention somehow. "Because if we go West, we run aground."

Yes, finally she turned to face him. Elizabeth fixed him with a hard glare and Jack grinned back in amusement. _I win this round_, he thought to himself. Jack's swagger was a bit more pronounced as he took a few steps around the small circle of people and said, "So we sail East in the direction Elizabeth believe the heart to be—"

"I _know_ the heart to be," Elizabeth corrected.

Jack grinned at her again. Her tone of indignation was priceless. Jack couldn't help but be amused that, without fail, he always managed to get under her skin. He took a gulp of rum and shrugged. "Well, whichever it may be, we are still sailing in that direction, eh? But then what? What when we find the heart? Just walk aboard Beckett's ship? That will go over well." Jack smiled brightly and looked at Will. "Hello there, mate, we are here to take the heart of Davy Jones, thank you very much." Jack's smile disappeared in an instant and he shook his head gravely. "Very well, indeed."

"What do you suggest we do then," Will asked impatiently.

Jack was startled. "Me?" he asked in a somewhat high pitched voice. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Who said anything about me?"

"You seem to have all the answers," Will replied.

Suddenly everyone was staring at Jack expectantly and he did not appreciate that. Not one bit. But he lifted his chin and feigned confidence. "Well, of course I do." He took a slow, contemplative drink of his rum, noting as he did that the bottle was almost empty. "Why is the rum always gone?" he muttered to himself, looking off into the distance.

"Jack." Elizabeth spoke his name in a tone that brooked no argument.

Jack fixed his eyes on her face and it all became clear to him. "Oh, that's why."

"Jack, you're the captain," Elizabeth told him.

Jack scoffed. As if he needed reminding. "Of course I am," he replied. He began barking out orders to the crew. He couldn't keep track of what orders he was giving, but apparently they made sense to the crew because they were soon sailing rapidly away from Port Royal.

Jack's mind fixed on the task ahead of them when he rested his hands on the wheel again and he sighed heavily, drinking the last drop of his rum.

Legend had it that whoever stabbed the heard of Davy Jones would have his own heart carved out of his chest and take Jones' place as captain of the _Flying Dutchman_. Barring the heart carving out part, the idea was appealing to Jack. After all, who wouldn't want to live forever?

"Yes, but to not set foot on land for ten years," Jack muttered.

"But to live forever as Captain Jack Sparrow…"

"But no rum for ten years."

"Bugger." Jack was scowling deeply and trying not to think about it anymore when he heard soft footsteps and turned to see Elizabeth climbing the steps toward him. He was in such a foul mood by now that he didn't even smile when he saw her coming, just looked back out at the horizon again.

Elizabeth stood next to Jack's right arm for some time without saying anything. He was very aware of her presence, but didn't break the silence either. He had several things on his mind, and Elizabeth was just another item to add to the pile.

"Jack," Elizabeth finally said softly. Jack looked at her out of the corner of his eye, but didn't say anything. She was staring straight ahead. "What will happen when we find the heart?"

"Well, love, someone'll have to stab it, won't they?"

"Are you going to stab it, Jack?" Elizabeth asked, even quieter now.

Jack didn't answer. He didn't have an answer.

After several minutes, Elizabeth finally turned to face him and Jack made the mistake of looking into her eyes. He was mesmerized, as much as he hated to admit it, and he couldn't look away. They stood there, just staring at each other for a long time. Elizabeth leaned closer and closed her eyes as she whispered, "Please don't." Then she stood on her tiptoes to press her lips lightly against Jack's, taking his breath away.

He tried to lean into the kiss, but Elizabeth was already pulling away, staring at him with an unfathomable expression.

"It's late," she said in a more normal tone of voice, and slipped away.

Jack was left standing there, staring after her, more confused than he could ever remember being.

And that was saying something.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thank you SO MUCH for your patience with me. This semester of school is turning out to be more work and harder work than I expected, so I've been devoting a lot more time to homework and studying than usual, which, sadly, means less time for writing. *sniff* I hope you guys don't hate me because of that! **

**As always, thank you for all the reviews! I read every single one of them and I love you all for sending them! *huggle* **

**This story is drawing to a close, as is Because of a Broken Down Car, so that means I need some new ideas! If you have anything in particular you want to read, please let me know. Any and all comments and suggestions are always welcome!**

Chapter 13

The _Flying Dutchman_ had been spotted the night before. Ever since then, they had been gaining on her, all day long until now. And not until that morning had those on the _Black Pearl_ noticed the other ship sailing along with the _Dutchman_. Now the afternoon was turning dark and stormy as they gained on both ships.

Elizabeth stood at the railing, staring off into the distance, the wind pulling her hair down from the neat bun she had fixed earlier. She rested her hands on the rail, taking deep breaths and wondering what the rest of the day would bring. Elizabeth could only hope it would be a happy ending. Davy Jones controlled the sea, and while Lord Beckett had the heart, he controlled Davy Jones. Either of those was a formidable foe, but paired together they were ruthless.

"Elizabeth?"

She started and turned at the sound of her name. "Will." She took a deep breath.

"We need to talk," they both said at the same time, then fell silent for several seconds.

Elizabeth eyed Will warily and chewed on her bottom lip. By the sound of his voice, what he had to say wasn't any more pleasant than what she had to say. She wondered who should go first. Finally, Will gestured to her and Elizabeth sighed.

"Look, Will…" Elizabeth turned away from him and back toward the railing. She sighed again and brushed her hair out of her face. "This isn't right," she finally said softly.

"I know." Will stepped up next to her and leaned forward against the railing. Elizabeth didn't turn, but she watched him out of the corner of her eye. She waited for him to speak again; she wasn't sure how to say what she needed to. "We're fooling ourselves."

Elizabeth looked over at him sharply. Did he mean what she thought he did? She nodded at him to go on, hoping he would take the lead in the conversation.

"Things have…changed." Will was staring at his hands, as thought they would give him the words he needed. "We have changed. Things between us…" He seemed to be at a loss for words and sighed. "They're just not the same."

"You're right," Elizabeth said, looking out to sea once again. She folded her arms across her chest, hoping to make herself feel bolder and stronger. It wasn't really working, but she pretended it was anyway. She closed her eyes and forced herself to say the words. "Will, I don't have the same feelings for you that I did."

"I know," Will said again. He spoke in a low voice, and Elizabeth felt guilty for the pain she was sure to be causing him. "We've grown apart. Both of us – not just you."

The simple words made Elizabeth feel somewhat relieved anyway. She still felt guilty, but it was a relief to know that she wasn't the only one whose feelings had waned. She remained silent while trying to decide what to say, or if she should say anything. This conversation was the hardest thing she could remember doing.

"It's Jack, isn't it." It was a statement, not a question.

Elizabeth wouldn't lie – she refused to lie. Will deserved the truth, at least. So Elizabeth whispered, "Yes. I love him," and hoped that he heard her. But at the same time, she didn't want him to.

He did. He buried his head in his hands and finally spoke again some time later. "What happened? Where did we go wrong?"

"Will, things change," Elizabeth said. She reached out to put her hand on his shoulder, but thought better of it at the last second. "People change. We were never right for each other. It would never have worked out. I'm too…independent and stubborn, and you want someone who will depend on you. We just weren't meant to be." Elizabeth finished in a soft voice.

"But why not?"

"I don't know. But aren't you glad we figured it out now rather than later?" Elizabeth considered the idea. "It's better for us to realize it now than to get married and be miserable."

Will stood up straight. He managed a small smile. "You're right. I wish things had worked out differently, but it'll work out fine this way, I suppose." He looked down at Elizabeth and added, "We can always be friends."

"Of course," Elizabeth agreed adamantly, surprised he would even think it necessary to say. She had thought it was understood. "You always will be my best friend," she added with a tentative smile.

"Well, I need to figure out a plan of attack. We'll likely have caught up with the ships by evening," he turned his thoughts and his eyes toward the two ships they were following, "and we need to have a plan in place. Especially with this storm brewing." He turned and started to walk away before calling over his shoulder, "You might want to get some rest. I think it's going to be a rough evening."

Elizabeth watched him go and then walked away in the opposite direction, heading for her cabin below deck. She hadn't been sleeping well, so thought that a nap did sound like a nice plan.

She didn't notice a figure standing in the shadows, listening to every word they said.

- - - - -

Elizabeth stepped out on the deck of the _Black Pearl_ and was almost instantly soaked. The rain pouring down in torrents made it seem as though barrels of water were constantly being overturned above their heads. The wind whipped around them fiercely, and Elizabeth didn't even try to keep her hair out of her face. A feeling of tension and electricity filled the air, and it wasn't only due to the storm.

The battle was about to begin.

They were almost within firing range of the two ships, and orders were being called out left and right on deck. Jack and Will were both shouting to the crew, but none of the orders conflicted. It seemed that the two of them were cooperating very nicely and for that Elizabeth was grateful.

She hadn't really gotten to sleep, but the chance to lie down had been helpful and she felt more refreshed now. After a brief meeting with Will, Jack, and Tia Dalma, Elizabeth knew the plan of action and was prepared for it.

The ship slowly grew silent and tension built. Just a few more feet and they would be ready to begin firing. Elizabeth rubbed her hands against the pants she was wearing. This was the part of the battle she hated – waiting. There wasn't anything she could do right now; she would have to wait until they began boarding ships and fighting hand to hand. For now, all she could do was watch and shout words of encouragement to the crew.

"Fire!" Jack and Will yelled simultaneously, making Elizabeth jump slightly.

The boom of cannon fire ripped through the air, followed by the slight whistling sound the cannonballss made as they flew. It was very faint because of the roar of the wind, but it could still be heard. Elizabeth watched as some of the cannonballs connected with their targets, and then both ships retaliated in kind.

It was loud and hectic. Elizabeth tried to keep track of where both Will and Jack were at all times, but they were rushing about the deck so much that it was impossible. Elizabeth settled for helping to load the cannons and shouting advice and encouragement when needed. Even while firing, the _Pearl_ was getting closer to the _Dutchman_ and her British friend. Elizabeth had no doubt that Beckett was aboard the British ship, but while the _Dutchman_ was cooperating with Beckett, how would they get close enough to the heart to take it – let alone for someone to stab it?

"Prepare to board!" someone shouted nearby, and the order was repeated all around her.

Elizabeth finished helping someone with a cannon, then raced over to the railing, reaching for her sword. It was almost time for hand-to-hand combat, and this she could help with. She glimpsed Will and then Jack rushing around on deck, and was glad to know that both were safe. So far.

She lost track of them again when the enemy began to board the ship, swinging across the expanse of water on ropes that were swung and twisted frantically about by the wind. Elizabeth was ready for them. She started swinging her sword before they even set foot on the ship. She didn't think while she fought, just moved mechanically to defend herself and those around her.

It was some time later that Elizabeth realized neither Will nor Jack was on board anymore. It had been a long time since she had last seen either of them. Elizabeth grabbed a rope. Probably they had both gone over to one of the other ships, to seek out the heart, Beckett, or Jones – or all three. The _Dutchman_ was the closest ship, so Elizabeth got a tight hold on the rope and swung over.

The experience was one of the most frightening and exhilarating ones. Elizabeth didn't have time to think about it, though. As soon as she landed on the deck of the other ship, she had to begin thinking about defending herself again, and looking for some sign of Will or Jack.

It was going to be a long night.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Getting closer to the end now, guys. Should be finished by the end of this month! *celebratory dance* So I'm thinking that I'll work on finishing every other story I have on here that's not completed before I start a new one. I'm crazy busy with school, so I don't want to get overly ambitious. Also, I have started an original story that I will be posting on and I want to be able to devote time to that as well.**

**Anyway, enough of my ramblings...read on and enjoy!**

**And as always, thank you SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! for the reviews. Trust me, I love them all and they keep me inspired.**

Jack managed to sneak across the deck of the _Dutchman_. He stayed out of everyone's way and let them have at it. He had a goal in mind. He ducked wildly to avoid the swinging swords and finally made it into Davy Jones' cabin where the organ was – and the heart as well.

_Lucky guess,_ Jack thought to himself as he entered the cabin. He looked up to see two British soldiers pointing a pair of very large guns at him and he momentarily stopped in his tracks.

"Stop or we'll shoot!" one of the soldiers yelled.

Jack didn't have time to respond before a cannonball ripped through the wall behind them, distracting them slightly. He grinned. "Good one!" Then his expression turned puzzled. This seemed like a familiar situation. "Admirable though it may be, why are you here when you could be elsewhere?"

"Someone has to stay and guard the chest," one soldier answered with a smile, as though the answer were obvious and Jack were asking a stupid question.

_Well, mate, what d'you expect?_ Jack thought, laughing to himself when both of the soldiers realized at the same time that they had become distracted. They returned their guns to pointing at the chest and Jack began to get an idea. He approached the chest while the other soldier began to talk.

"There's no question, there has been a breakdown in military discipline aboard this vessel."

"I blame the fish people," the other soldier responded. Jack just let them talk, waiting for the opportune moment.

"Oh…so fish people, by dint of being fish people, automatically aren't as disciplined as non-fish people?"

"Seems contributory, is all I'm suggesting."

Jack saw his moment and made his move.

"It's true, if there were no fish people, there'd be no need to guard the chest."

Jack was, by now, on the way to the door with said chest. He glanced over his shoulder, relieved to see that the two of them were still talking.

"And if there were no chest we wouldn't need to be here to guard it."

_Took care of that for ya, mate,_ Jack thought with a wry grin, stepping back out of the cabin into the chaos of the battle on deck.

Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as smoothly starting right then. He came face to face with Davy Jones, who chuckled in pleasure.

"Lookee here, boys," said Jones. "A lost bird. A lost bird that never learned to fly."

Jack eyed Jones closely. Was he trying to imply something insulting? That's what it sounded like. But Jack decided not to challenge him on it when Jones drew his sword. Jack smiled and decided to just go along with it.

"To my great regret," he said, taking a few steps backward. "But!" He turned to quickly jump up onto a cannon. Grabbing hold of a rope he faced Jones and his fish people again. "Never too late to learn, eh?" Thinking, _I hope this works_, he whacked the metal piece the rope was tied to with the chest, and soon was carried upward by the sail. It took a few seconds for him to regain his balance, somewhere atop the mast. But at least he had escaped from Jones.

Oh. Not so much.

"The chest, hand it over," Jones demanded after materializing out of the mast.

Time for another plan. Too bad Jack didn't actually plan. He tried to make up something else that would work. He drew his sword, since Jones still had his out, and said convincingly, "I can set you free, mate."

"My freedom was forfeit long ago," Jones retorted, then charged at Jack.

Jack lifted his sword and fought Jones tooth and nail. He was glad he had always had good balance, standing on the mast so high above deck and the ocean. But the fight dragged on and Jack wondered if it would ever end.

"You can do nothing without the key," Jones told him.

"I already have the key!" Jack replied victoriously.

Jones looked at him as though he were crazy and held up the key to the chest with one of his long tentacles. "No, ya don't."

Jack's face fell. "Oh, that key." In reality, everything was going according to plan. Or would be if Jack actually had a plan. He suddenly swung with his sword, cutting Jones' tentacle off. The key fell out of sight, and Jones, enraged by Jack's actions became careless. Soon, his sword followed the key down to the deck. Jack was just thinking he was glad it was almost over when Jones used his claw to break Jack's sword and render it useless.

_Oh, bugger_, Jack thought to himself, staring at what was left of the blade. Jones took a step toward him and Jack tried to step back. Suddenly the ship lurched and Jack began to fall. Fortunately for him, he still had the chest, and Jones wasn't about to let that go.

With a yell, Jones reached out and managed to get a grip on the chest at the last minute. Jack could tell that Jones wasn't too happy to see him on the other side, but there was no way Jack was letting go. But just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, Jack found himself flying through the air. He collided with a hard body, instinctively grabbed hold of whatever he could, and tried to regain his bearings. This was hard to do since he was flying through the air on a rope, facing one of the ugliest fish people on board. Not to mention, he didn't have the chest anymore, either. That didn't make him happy at all.

Jack grabbed his pistol and hit the fish person over the head with it, hard enough that he fell. Jack didn't take the time to see where he fell. He immediately pointed the pistol toward Jones, who was standing and victoriously holding the chest. Jack smirked as he fired the gun and hit the exact target he was aiming for. Jones yelled, but released the chest and it dropped to the deck far below.

For the moment, Jones didn't have it anymore, and that was a relief. But the problem now was that Jack was still flying through the air on the rope, with no easy way of getting down, and Jones had easy access to the chest. Jack tried to think of a solution to the problem as he was twisted and buffeted about in the open air.

Somehow, and Jack wasn't quite sure how, he ended up with his feet planted firmly on deck, square in front of the chest, and facing Jones again. Jack pulled out his sword, remembering too late that it was not really a sword anymore. Now he had to figure out a way to escape Jones, who actually had a sword and was chasing him around the deck. Jack decided that Davy Jones was very scary with all his tentacles flapping around.

He managed to find a big stick and start hitting Jones with it. It was working out well, until Jones managed to grab it and turn it on Jack. He was thrust backwards and fell, stunned momentarily.

Several things happened at once, before Jack even stood up. Jack noticed Will fighting with his father a short distance away, Elizabeth appeared out of nowhere to fight Jones, and the key went inching by on the tentacle. Jack thought quickly. What to do?

Jack's eyes widened in genuine fear when Elizabeth was thrust backward by the force of one of Jones' blows. She was knocked out when she fell and Jones approached her menacingly. Jack leaped to his feet, but Will reached Jones before he could.

"Which is a good thing, mate, since you don't have your sword," Jack muttered, trying to decide what to do now. He decided to go for the key and the heart.

He got his hands on both of them and turned just in time to see Jones leaning over Will and asking, "Do you fear death?"

"Do you?" Jack yelled. He held Jones' beating heart in his left hand and what was left of his sword in his right. This was one time that Jack actually wished he had a plan, but he was acting on impulse and hoping things worked. To stall, he began to talk. "Heady tonic, holding life and death in the palm of one's hand," he taunted Jones, his mind racing.

"You're a cruel man, Jack Sparrow," Jones said, taking a step forward.

"Cruel is a matter of perspective," Jack replied, glaring at Jones.

"Is it?" Jones asked. Jack had only a moment to think that he didn't like that look in Jones' eyes. Before Jack could think or say anything else, Jones had turned and thrust his sword into Will's chest.

He heard Will's groan of pain and Elizabeth's gasp of horror. Jack's jaw dropped and everything around him faded away and somehow didn't matter anymore. All that mattered now was this tiny section of the world. He and Elizabeth and Will and Jones.

Jack couldn't move. He couldn't decide what he should do. If he stabbed the heart then Jones would be dead. Revenge would be accomplished and Jack would live forever. But…then what about Will and Elizabeth? Jack cared for both of them more than he realized. He was torn.

Then he heard Elizabeth telling Will, "Stay with me! You're all right!"

That's when he made his decision.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: As always, thanks for the reviews! I've said it before and I'll say it again – the reviews keep me inspired and I'm always excited to see a new review in my email inbox. Forgive me for not replying to them individually lately, but my life has been somewhat insane. I'm on spring break this week though, so I'm going to try to do lots of writing!**

**Scroll down for the story, but first a shoutout…**

****THANKS TO MY REVIEWERS****

**temari13 – **_**For whom the story is written. Someday I will be as good a writer as you.**_

**Ditte3 **

**Crystalyna du Starrvan – **_**Who has stuck with me all along, thank you!**_

**Mrs. Brenda Morgan**

**FriendLey **

**Exic**

**.dolphins**

**You guys are all wonderful and an inspiration to me. Thank you for reviewing. :-D**

It was her worst nightmare. Elizabeth hurried to Will's side and said the words that she knew were totally untrue, but needed to be said anyway.

"You're all right!" She frantically tried to think of something that she could do to stop this. There had to be something, some way of making everything okay again. "Look at me! Look at me!" Elizabeth repeated. This couldn't be how things ended. Not here. Not now. She wasn't in love with Will, but he was still her best friend and she didn't think she could bear to lose him.

Things seemed to be moving in slow motion while Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder to see Jones fighting with Will's father. She was grateful for the respite. She turned to face Will again. When Elizabeth had almost given up hope, that's when Jack appeared on the other side of Will. He wrapped Will's fingers around the hilt of a broken sword and set the beating heart on the deck of the ship. He barely glanced at Elizabeth. It only took her a split second to understand what he was doing.

If Will stabbed the heart, then not only would Jones be dead, but Will would live. Elizabeth only hoped that there was time. Jack lifted Will's hand holding the sword, and plunged it into the heart.

There was a gasp of pain from Jones. Elizabeth and Jack both turned to face him. Jones turned away from Will's father. He had a look of disbelief on his face, but he seemed to understand the situation. He lifted his face to the sky before stumbling backwards and over the railing into the sea.

Elizabeth returned her attention to Will, in time to see him draw his last breath.

What? This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen! Elizabeth's grief welled up inside her and she screamed, "No!" She would do anything to change the way things had happened. Will wasn't supposed to die! She began to sob desperately. It was her fault Will was dead. She'd brought them out here, told them where to find Beckett and the heart.

Suddenly strong hands grabbed her shoulders and began to pull her away. Elizabeth fought and screamed, but she was no match for the other person in her grief. She realized it was Jack and wondered why he was taking her away. She wanted to scream at him, to make him let her go. Before she could say anything, Elizabeth saw the crew of the _Dutchman_ gathering around Will's body and chanting something – she couldn't understand what.

Jack wrapped his arm around her waist and yelled at her to hold on. She did without really thinking about it, and suddenly they were flying up, into the air. It was still raining and windy, and they were blown about like a kite. Elizabeth didn't even notice. She clung to Jack, watching the _Dutchman_ below as it disappeared under the water. She was no longer in hysterics, but she began to cry again and buried her face in Jack's chest.

This wasn't the way it was supposed to end.

- - - - -

Elizabeth wasn't sure how long it was, but she eventually realized she was standing on the deck of the _Black Pearl_ once again, listening to the crew and Jack discussing the fact that Beckett's ship was coming toward them. She looked around, knowing something was different. It took a few seconds for her to realize it had stopped raining and the evening sun was beginning to shine.

"The _Endeavor_'s coming up hard to starboard," Gibbs was saying, "and I think it's time we embrace that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions."

Run? Elizabeth frowned. After all that, after all the fighting, after Will's death – they were just going to run? She felt as though she were in a fog, but she wanted to protest. Before she had the chance, Jack answered.

"Never actually been one for tradition." He stepped over to the railing where he stood in silence for a few seconds before shouting his orders to the crew. "Close haul her. Luff the sails and lay her in irons."

"We'll be a sittin' duck!" Gibbs protested.

"Shut it," was all Jack said before he hurried up to stand by the helm where Mr. Cotton was stationed.

Elizabeth frowned again. Those orders didn't make any sense. Surely he didn't want to just sit there! She didn't want to run away, but of course she didn't want to sit and do nothing either. She stood by the railing, looking out toward the _Endeavor_, holding onto a rope for support. Elizabeth felt as though if she didn't hold onto something tangible, she'd go plunging off the ship.

The _Endeavor_ was sailing toward them fast, and Elizabeth's heart began to thump hard. She shot a bewildered glance at Jack. What in the world was he thinking?

Something caught her eye, and Elizabeth look out to sea again. She could scarcely believe what she was seeing. The _Dutchman _was surfacing. She watched as, now, both the _Endeavor_ and the _Dutchman_ were sailing toward the _Black Pearl_. Did that mean what she thought it did?

A smile of disbelief spread across her face when she saw Will standing at the helm and heard him shout his orders to the crew. Could this really be happening?

"Full canvas!" Jack shouted. Elizabeth smiled wider. That was more like it. She eagerly stepped away from the railing, trying to find some way that she could help. Now both the _Pearl_ and the _Dutchman_ were sailing toward the _Endeavor_ and soon they were on either side of it.

Jack gave the order to fire, and Elizabeth shouted in delight, "Fire, all!" Now was the time for justice to be served.

She stood and watched the _Endeavor_ being torn apart by both the _Pearl_'s and the _Dutchman_'s cannons.

This was how it was supposed to end.

- - - - -

"I can only set foot on land once every ten years." Will sighed and looked out toward the horizon. "It'll be a long ten years. I'll miss you."

Elizabeth nodded, smiling despite the tears in her eyes. "I'll miss you, too." She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "But I'm just glad you're alive."

"In a manner of speaking," Will laughed, patting her back.

Words couldn't express how relieved Elizabeth was that Will didn't seem to hold anything against her. She pulled away and sniffed, willing the tears not to fall.

Everyone had spent remainder of the evening, night, and next day ashore at a nearby island, celebrating their victory. Now it was time to say goodbye.

"You'll always be my best friend," Elizabeth whispered again.

Will smiled at her, no trace of hurt or regret in his eyes. He placed his hand on the chest, which was sitting on top a nearby rock, and looked at her seriously. "Will you keep it safe?"

Elizabeth nodded. It didn't belong to her, not really, not in the sense that it once had. But Elizabeth still treasured it. Will was her closest friend and she would guard the chest with her life.

Will glanced over his shoulder. "It's almost sunset."

"Yes." Elizabeth took Will's offered hand and they walked down the beach to meet up with the rest of the group, who had been giving them a few moments alone to say goodbye. She wrapped her arms around herself and watched in silence while Will said goodbye to the crew, shaking hands and patting backs.

Finally Will turned to her again. He said softly, "Keep a weather eye on the horizon."

Elizabeth nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

Will pulled her into a tight hug. "It's only ten years. Time will fly by."

"I hope you're right," Elizabeth answered, voice shaking from the tears she was still forcing herself to hold back.

Seconds later, Will pulled back. He looked at someone standing just behind Elizabeth. "Take care of her," he said sternly. "Don't let anything happen to her."

Elizabeth was about to turn to see who Will was speaking to, but she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard Jack answer, "You have my word."

That was Elizabeth's undoing. The tears spilled over as she leaned back against Jack's chest and watched Will walk away to return to his ship. She rested her head against Jack's shoulder and let the tears flow freely down her cheeks.

Everything was so different than it had been. But Will was alive! It may be a long time before she saw him again, but he was alive.

"Let's go, love," Jack said softly in her ear, long after everyone else had returned to the _Black Pearl_.

Elizabeth smiled, turned, flung her arms around Jack's neck, and kissed him firmly.

It wasn't exactly the ending she had been expecting, or even hoping for. But it was a good one.

She'd take it.

_**THE END**_

**A/N: I hope you liked it! I can't thank you enough for all the reviews. Thank you a million times to everyone who read and reviewed, favorited, alerted, etc. You're all incredible. **

**Stay tuned for more stories – I may try another POTC fic soon. And in the meantime, feel free to check out my other stories (Harry Potter, Camp Rock, Naruto, Sims 2 and other good stuff!).**

**Other places you can find me: **

**Blogger: notafairytale . blogspot ****.com**

**Twitter: notashamed87**

**YouTube: youtube ****.com/notashamed87**** AND /threeblugirls**

**AND….if you've read this far, you deserve to know that crazinessgirl3 has some really amazing Camp Rock fan fics and temari13 has some incredible Naruto and Bleach fan fics. Check out all my favorite authors, they're all good. **

**Okay, I'm shutting up now….**


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